BHU molestation: Govt asks VC to go on leave, to set up panel for successor

New Delhi: The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry, on Thursday, called for the appointment of the next vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), even as the government gave an option for Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi to "go on leave".

The ministry has put out a file to constitute the search and election committee for finding Tripathi's successor, The Indian Express reported.

“A file with six names will be sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan in the next few days, from which the President will appoint three nominees to the search and selection committee. The VC’s post will also be advertised soon,” a ministry source said.

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The ministry is trying to avoid a situation where the post of VC will be vacant and is therefore aiming to identify a successor before Tripathi's retirement, the report added.

Tripathi has been facing flak for mishandling the protests of women students in the University over an alleged sexual harassment case on campus.

The government feels that the best course of action to avoid any untoward situation will be, for him to proceed on leave since there are only two more months left in completion of his term, the report said.

Tripathi’s three-year term expires on November 27.

“Well, the remarks about him are not laudatory in the reports received by us. The question is whether he agrees to go on leave before that (November 27) or not. This is a call for him to take,” a top government functionary in Delhi said.

Also read: Violence on campus: BHU proctor takes responsibility, quits

The government had adopted a similar strategy during Dalit PhD scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide at Hyderabad Central University. University head Appa Rao had gone on leave, on government's informal advice and resumed charge when situation had normalised.

As per the BHU Act, if the VC goes on leave, the Rector will act as the head and, in the Rector’s absence, the university Registrar will assume charge as VC, the report added.

A number of students were hurt when clashes broke out between the police and students of the BHU after the students started protesting against alleged molestation of a girl, last week.

Also read: Banaras Hindu University protest echoes in University of Hyderabad campus

This happened at when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Varanasi for a visit to his Lok Sabha constituency.

The university Proctor had resigned late Tuesday night taking “moral responsibility” for the violence on campus from September 21 to 23.